NDIS: Open Letter to Members of Parliament

Lauren Reinhardt shares the impact of recent NDIS changes with our Member of Parliament. 

Dear Member, 

I write to you as a speech pathologist, a mother, and the owner of North Shore Speech Therapy, a speech therapy clinic that has supported families across our community for over 24 years.  I want to draw your attention to the realities faced by families and clinicians alike in the wake of NDIS changes. We need your support. There is a huge emotional toll of watching families forced to choose between essential therapies and financial survival. These are decisions no parent should have to make.

I began my career in 1999, long before the NDIS.  I was based in community health, special schools and in hospitals across the North Shore of Sydney. We had long wait lists for assessments (between 3-6 months) which meant children were missing out on early intervention, intervention that could have changed the course of their lives.  Even after assessment, children with communication disorders who require regular, 1:1 therapy, were often placed on waitlists for group sessions. Some waited over a year for just five sessions. Essentially parents watched the gap widen and their hopes of their child being able to ‘catch up’ were dimmed as the months waiting for services dragged on.  

The introduction of the NDIS brought hope. Families were empowered to choose their providers, access expert care, and engage more fully in their communities. The difference was immediate and profound.  

As a mother of an autistic child, I’ve experienced this transformation personally. My daughter now has access to the supports she needs. She is preparing to graduate from school and has a social circle. These are milestones that would have been out of reach without timely and appropriate intervention. 

But now, as a clinic owner, I am watching the system unravel. The constant changes to the NDIS policy, often introduced without clarity and applied retrospectively, are placing enormous strain on our operations. Just last week we spent 16 hours in meetings to establish how we can best support our NDIS families in the context of these changes.  It is agonising on all fronts as we attempt to support our families while struggling to interpret reforms and ensure compliance. We design services to meet the needs of our community, only to find the rules have changed before we can implement them. 

The financial pressure is mounting. NDIS pricing caps have remained unchanged for six years, while the cost of rent, salaries, and operations continues to rise. Recent changes to mandatory price limits (no gap payments from parents), reduced travel billing and service definitions have made it even harder to remain viable. Peak bodies are warning that one in five allied health providers may be forced to close. Staff shortages are worsening, burnout is rising, and waitlists are stretching. 

I am deeply concerned about how we will continue to support our families as more practitioners leave the profession and clinics close their doors. The emotional toll on my team is growing. These are dedicated, highly skilled professionals who entered this field to make a difference and they are being pushed to the edge. 

In recent times, we have seen decisions regarding the frequency of therapy sessions being determined by funding bodies rather than by clinicians. This shift is deeply concerning.  The determination of therapy dosage is a clinical matter that should remain with qualified professionals who understand each child’s unique needs. The NDIS now requires our reports to include extensive evidence supporting our recommendations, yet we are told that planners often do not have the capacity to review these detailed documents. The time spent referencing articles and justifying our clinical decisions is significant, and it is disheartening to know that much of this work may go unread. This is just one example of the inefficiencies and frustrations that are increasingly impacting both practitioners and families. 

I urge you to please help us by shining a light on these issues and to advocate for reforms that prioritise transparency, sustainability, and clinical autonomy. The families in our community deserve a system that supports their journey and offers them choice and control. 

Thank you again for your leadership and for amplifying the voices of those working on the ground. I would welcome the opportunity to speak further and contribute to solutions that strengthen our community. 

Warm Regards, 

Lauren Reinhardt
Speech Pathologist/Clinic Owner
North Shore Speech Therapy
lauren@speechtherapy.com.au